Two goals from Dado Prso enabled Rangers to move within two points of leaders
Celtic and keep the battle for the Bank of Scotland Premier League alive.
The Croatian netted his 20th and 21st goals of an impressive campaign to fire
his side to a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen at rain-soaked Pittodrie.
With Hibernian having surprisingly won 3-1 at Celtic on Saturday the result was
perfect for Rangers but misery for the Dons, who remain five points behind the
Edinburgh side in the tussle for a UEFA Cup place.
The pressure had been intensely felt by Rangers and their manager Alex McLeish
before kick-off but an early Barry Ferguson strike created the platform for the
victory, although it needed two moments of quality from Prso to recover from
Chris Clark's first-half equaliser.
McLeish had promised changes after last week's 2-1 defeat at home to Celtic,
the result many had assumed had ended their championship challenge there and
then.
Two were enforced however, as injuries to Gregory Vignal and Michael Ball left
him without a recognised left-back of experience.
Maurice Ross switched from the right, with Fernando Ricksen dropping back to
fill that void and Alex Rae was restored to the midfield.
Thomas Buffel also started and Peter Lovenkrands was the surprise third
choice, making his first start since December 2.
With so much at stake an early goal was at a premium and Ferguson supplied one
for Rangers in the ninth minute.
Marvin Andrews, the defender who is still defying doctors' orders to have a
knee operation, sent a powerful header out of the Rangers half that Prso picked
up on the right.
The Croat steered the ball into the path of the on-rushing Ferguson, who
produced an emphatic left-footed effort that gave goalkeeper Ryan Esson no
chance.
Esson denied Ferguson in the 25th minute with a fine tip over from a free-kick
conceded by Russell Anderson on the edge of the box.
It was apparent by this point the Pittodrie surface was struggling to cope
with the downpour and passes were getting stuck across the field.
Ross was guilty of one mis-placed pass that set Clark on his way to his
32nd-minute equaliser and although the midfielder's 25-yard drive, having
side-stepped Rae, was well hit it needed a hefty deflection off Andrews to beat
goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus.
Rangers needed a response and although Buffel, who had been granted a
pre-match plea to have a roving role, was lively he was unable to make a
significant contribution.
Buffel's role plus his own lack of goals had forced Nacho Novo into the wide
right role he is known to regard as a chore.
But with two minutes remaining in the half he set up Prso for his goal of the
season contender, robbing the ponderous Anderson before setting up his
team-mate, whose reaction to receiving the ball was to produce an audacious -
and perfectly-placed - back-heel past the startled Esson.
Alexander Diamond had been the first man to pick up a booking for a
38th-minute foul on Prso.
Aberdeen replaced Richie Byrne with Michael Hart at the break, with Kevin
McNaughton switching flanks to left-back to counter Novo.
Rangers took a decisive grip on the game just before the hour when Prso netted
his second of the day.
A Novo long-range effort had been deflected behind and Ricksen's corner was
met by the head of Andrews.
It was not a powerful effort but landed perfectly at the feet of Prso inside
the six-yard box and in one movement the Croatian controlled it, turned and
fired high into the net.
Prso might have had a hat-trick within seconds of the re-start but Esson was
quickly off his line - and out of his box - to get to the ball first.
The ineffective Noel Whelan was replaced up front in the 63rd minute by
Lubomir Blaha, the Czech who had claimed beforehand that Rangers were a broken
team.
That certainly did not look the case and Esson had to palm a Prso cross behind
before Andrews headed over from another Ricksen delivery.
Lovenkrands, who had contributed little, was replaced in the 69th minute by
Shota Arveladze.
Aberdeen handed a debut to Gary Dempsey, who joined as an amateur from
Dunfermline, in the 71st minute when he replaced Scott Muirhead.
Scott Severin picked up an 83rd-minute booking for a touchline challenge that
saw Novo booted off the pitch.
Prso was replaced by Steven Thompson in the 88th minute and left the field to
applause from the away fans, stopping to shake hands with referee Hugh Dallas on
the way.
Esson denied Arveladze the fourth with a block in the final minute and in
stoppage time Ferguson fired against a post as Aberdeen were caught by a swift
counter-attack.
Teams
Aberdeen Esson, McNaughton, Anderson, Diamond,
Byrne (Hart 45), Clark, Severin, Heikkinen,
Muirhead (Dempsey 71), Whelan (Blaha 62), Mackie.
Subs Not Used: Preece, Stewart, Winter, Considine.
Booked: Diamond, Severin.
Goals: Clark 33.
Rangers Waterreus, Ricksen, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Ross, Buffel,
Alex Rae, Ferguson, Lovenkrands (Arveladze 69),
Prso (Thompson 88), Novo.
Subs Not Used: McGregor, Steven Smith, Burke, McCormack,
Malcolm.
Goals: Ferguson 10, Prso 43, 59.
Att: 17,198
Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).
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